Joana Liu Donaher

TL;DR: A mechanistic link between Twist, EMT, and tumor metastasis is established, suggesting that Twist contributes to metastasis by promoting an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

TL;DR: In adult mutant females, the breast epithelial compartment fails to undergo the massive proliferative changes associated with pregnancy despite normal levels of ovarian steroid hormones, suggesting that steroid-induced proliferation of mammary epithelium during pregnancy may be driven through cyclin D1.

TL;DR: In vivo, the requirement of "reversible EMT" in tumor metastasis is demonstrated and may resolve the controversy on the importance of EMT in carcinoma metastasis.

TL;DR: It is shown that introduction of three genes encoding the SV40 large-T antigen, the telomerase catalytic subunit, and an H-Ras oncoprotein into primary HMECs results in cells that form tumors when transplanted subcutaneously or into the mammary glands of immunocompromised mice.

TL;DR: It is shown that coexpression of Slug and Sox9 promotes the tumorigenic and metastasis-seeding abilities of human breast cancer cells and is associated with poor patient survival, providing direct evidence that human breast cancers stem cells are controlled by key regulators similar to those operating in normal murine MaSCs.